At present a low frequency therapeutical apparatus is commonly used for treating and soothing different types of pain, since the low frequency therapeutical apparatus is capable of emitting electronic pulse waveforms including dense waves, sparse waves, sparse-dense waves, sawtooth waves, intermittent waves, etc with the effect of treating and soothing pains. For example, dense waves are generally used for pain relief, sedation, sore muscle soothing, blood vessel spasm, acupuncture anesthetic, etc; sparse waves are generally used for treating atrophy diseases, and muscle, joint, ligament, tendon injuries, etc; sparse-dense waves in a waveform of alternate sparse waves and dense waves are generally used for pain relief, contusion, joint periarthritis, blood circulation disorder, sciatica, facial paralysis, weak muscle, partial frostbite, etc; sawtooth waves with pulse in sawtooth shape and changes of undulating waves are generally used for electric simulation of phrenic nerves for artificial respiration, rescue for respiratory failure, neuromuscular excitability, blood circulation improvement, etc; and intermittent waves in form of sparse waves which are continuous and discontinuous with a rhythm and generally used for treating atrophy, paralysis, muscular electric gymnastic training, etc.
As to physical therapy, fomentation is generally used for treating pains and promoting rehabilitation to achieve the effects of raising the temperature of the affected tissues, accelerating blood circulation, promoting healing speed, and relieving pains. According to researches, thermotherapy at least has the effects of: (1) relieving pains; (2) reducing muscle spasm; (3) relieving stiff joints; (4) improving the ductility of collagen to improve joint activity; and (5) improving blood circulation.
With reference to FIG. 1 for a conventional low frequency therapeutical apparatus (as disclosed in Patent Application No. TW201117850A1), the apparatus is a one-piece electronic low-frequency pulse patch 90 comprising a soft upper casing 91, a hollow support casing 92, a coupled output conductive soft film 93, a control circuit unit 94, a base 95, a power supply unit 96 and a lower casing 97; wherein the power supply unit 96 and a control circuit unit 94 capable of generating current pulses of anode and cathode are concealed therein to form a one-piece waterproof seamless structure which is used as an automatic sticking patch device for outputting low-frequency pulses and applicable in various electronic patches for treating and soothing human pains.
Although the conventional one-piece electronic low-frequency pulse patch can achieve the effect of treating and soothing human pains, it still has the following drawbacks. The electronic low-frequency pulse patch 90 just has the effect of an electronic pulse waveform without the fomentation effect of a heating patch, and it does not provide the function of individual or alternate heating and low-frequency pulses, so that the therapeutical effect is limited. Obviously, the conventional one-piece electronic low-frequency pulse patch requires improvements.
In addition, a heater with the fomentation effect is disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. M480998, the heater consumes much electric power, so that the heater must be electrically coupled to an alternate current (AC) adapter having an input terminal connected to the mains power and the heater is equipped with a thermostat, and such heater is inconvenient to carry, and a patient has to stay at a fixed position and cannot move freely. Therefore, it is a main subject for related manufacturers to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the conventional electronic low-frequency treatment apparatus and thermotherapy apparatus.
In view of the drawbacks and poor structural design of the conventional electronic low frequency therapeutical apparatus and thermotherapy apparatus, the discloser of this disclosure conducted extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a portable power-saving therapeutical apparatus with both heating and low-frequency treatment functions without being limited by a power cable of a power supply to overcome the drawbacks and problems of the prior art.